Sectional vessel



June 112, 1923. 1,458,134

P. A. J. M. CQNSTAN SECTIONAL VESSEL Filed,. June 8, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet l w Z 1 en I g Fe? fl Fae/km Amomwa June 112, 1923. 1,458,334

P. A. J. M. CONSTAN SECTIONAL VESSEL Filed..i3une' 8, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 t etented Jane 32, lg.

UNHT ES consran, or innlvoatm is t SECTIONAL VSEL.

Application filed June 8, 1918. Serial Xto. 239,085.

(@RAE TED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF MARCH 8, 1921, 41 STAT. In, 1313.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PAUL ARMANI) JEAN MARIE CoNs'rAN, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at Mengam, near Brest, in the Republic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sec tional Vessels (for which I have filed applications in France, May 29th, 1917, Patent No, 485729, and April 27th, 1918, first addition to Patent No. 485729, No. 20856), of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the numerous and serious disadvantages presented, chiefly in bad weather, by all the methods of towing at present in use.

Its principle consists essentially in providing a navigable unit in two parts, each part constituting a separate vessel, the said two vessels being capable of being rigidly connected together so as to form a single vessel of normal outline, one of said vessels being provided with propelling means to act as a pro eller for other vessels constructed according to this invention so that while one vessel is being navigated another can be loaded and a third discharged at points on the line served.

In the drawings, in which several embodiments of my invention are illustrated diagrammatically Fig. 1 is a perspective view of two vessels adapted to form a navigable unit according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation, the lefthand portion showing the two vessels assembled at the same level and the right-hand portion showing the two vessels assembled at different levels;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view illustrating the attachin means provided at the sides of the prope ling vessel, the left-hand portion of the figure showing the said means before, and the right-hand portion showing the same after the two vessels have been moved into mutual engagement;

Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of my invention, the upper View being an elevation and the lower view a plan partly in 53 section;

v Fig. 5 illustrates the features of my invention on an enlarged scale, the upper view being an elevation and the lower view a sectional plan;

In order to carry propulsion by means of a thrust tug into practice, the hull A (Figure 1) that is to be propelled, which may be of any form, is merely modified at the rear part, this modification consisting in cutting a vertical mortise of invariable horizontal sertion, into which the front of the thrust tu can fit with great exactness like a tenon.

Fhe front of the thruster is shaped like a wedge with a vertical edge, and consequently the mortise is in the shape of a dihedral angle with a vertical edge the angle of which is equal to that between the two faces of the front of the thruster. The mortise communicates, by means of its edge, with a vertical groove C, prismatic in shape, which is for the purpose of receiving and affording a hold to the fastening tenons of the thruster.

Each of the hooking tenons t is in the shape of a T the medial shank of which, being arranged horizontally, passes through the stem of the thruster and is screw-threaded at its rear part. A nut or any other tightening device moreover enables a powerful pull to be exerted on the tenon in order to efi'ect a strong or positive wedging of the front of the thruster into the back of the propelled vessel.

In order to effect a junction between the tug and the vessel to be propelled, therefore, all that is required is to fit the front of the thruster into the mortise. During this operation the arms of all the tenons are parallel to the stem of the thruster and take up posi tions in the groove C.

As soon as this result is obtained the arms of the tenons are put transversely to the stem, for example by meansof a lever attached to the shank in any suitable manner at right angles to the axis of the tenons and adapted to be engaged by suitable stops to arrest it in positions corresponding to the vertical and horizontal positions of the tenons, so that all that is necessary is to exert an energetic pull on the shanks of these tenons, by means of the tightening de vices thereof, in order to establish complete connection between the thruster and the propelled vessel. Furthermore in order to ensure perfect adhesion of the two hulls, the two front faces of the thruster may be formed of plates provided with horizontal ribs n, while the walls of the mortise of the pro elled vessel are provided with mats of braided cord, or, better still, with pieces of wood p projecting slightly. When the thruster is jammed into the mortise of the propelled vessel by the operation of the tenons the horizontal ribs n will penetrate, by pressure, into the vertical strips of wood or matting and ensure a more perfect locking engagement thus forming a very rigid connection between the two hull elements.

Finally, in order to complete the assembling of the two hulls, and to give it a durable rigidity, tenons similar to those of the stem are arranged on each face of the thruster (at i on the port side), the heads of these tenons being embedded in the hull of the tug until the stem tenons have been ti htened up.

hese tenons are then pushed out of their cavities, which causes them to enter the ooves 0 and 0 in the propelled vessel, and

t en, after being rotated through 90, they are screwed up tight.

From this moment the union of the two hulls is completed.

Figure 3 illustrates a simple and convenient means for operating the gripping jaws P, but it will be readily understood that any suitable mechanical means may be employed for this purpose.

The attaching and detaching operations, which are extremely simple, quick and easy,

- are effected in the ports and do not require any precaution other than a simple regulation of the water ballast for the purpose of making the stem of the thruster and the attachment well of the propelled vessel parallel to one another. These watertight compartments are arranged some at W (Fig. 5), at the back of the propelled vessel, and the others at the lower part of the front of the tug.

It goes without saying that the stern lines of the thruster should be the normal prolongation of those of the propelled vessel when the two hulls have their normal trim correspondingto their load water lines.

The same thruster can be used for the propulsion of hulls of any draught astern. For that purpose all that is necessary is to refine the stern lines of the propelled vessel in such a way that they join those of the thruster without discontinuity (Figure 2).

It is essential to observe that even if the thruster and the propelled vessel were at the normal water line in one case and more or less light in the other the union of the two hulls would be effected with the same facility and the same certainty, since all horizontal sections through the front of the thruster have the same horizontal projection, which is one of the essential characteristics of the invention; The wedge shape adopted for the front of the thruster has the advantage of greatly simplifying and facilitating construction.

The projection formed by the keel of the thruster under that of the propelled vessel when the latter is light (Figure 2, righthand view), cannot impair the propulsion, as this projection is in the shape of a wedge having its edge directed forwards.

It is important to make the thruster as short as possible. It should only contain, in principle, the boilers, the engines and the steering apparatus. Nevertheless to enable it to be navigated by itself, it may have a small fuel bunker. Its normal supply of fuel should be located on board the propelled vessel, in the stern bunkers.

The rational utilization of the system of propulsion forming the subject-matter of the present specification consists in having at least three hulls per thruster. While one of the hulls is being navigated, another is being loaded and the third is being discharged at the terminal points of the line served. 'The fuel bunkers being on each towed vessel, and the filling thereof having been effected during the loading or unloading, the thruster can start again immediately, without any time being lost in coaling.

In the event of the propelled vessel being intended for navigation in seas that are ordinarily very severe, the connection between the two hulls might be supplemented in the following manner :the plates forming the rear ends of the mortise in the propelled vessel are provided on their outer vertical edge with a half-round, swelling R adapted to be engaged by gripping jaws P arranged at the commencement of the wedge face of the thruster, as indicated in Figures 1 and 3. Alternatively instead of having the halfround swelling R, the rear ends of the mortise may be shaped to form a vertical strip projecting obliquely to the line of thrust and adapted to be engaged by gripping jaws P, as indicated in Figure .6. The jaws P are arranged to operate in a'similar manner to the jaws P and the obliquity of the strips, with respect to the line of thrust, will oppose any separation of the propelled vessel and the thruster, when the jaws are tightened up. The gripping jaws act like those of a vise and may be operated by means of screw devices as described with reference to Figure 3 or by any other suitable mechanical means.

If desired the jaws P and co-operating plates may be substituted for the .tenons and co-operating grooves c" and c" on the face of the thruster, as indicated in Figure 5.

The operations of separating the two hulls are of course the same as those of engaging them, but are effected in the reverse order.

aeeeaae The method of constructing the hu A and B (Figure 1) is the usual method of construction. The propelled vessel as well as the propelling vesse which may be of iron lates, wood or reinforced concrete, should be reinforced by interior ribbands.

In order not to make the thruster excessively wide it is advisable, in the case of lar e units, to narrow the stern of the propolled vessels, as shown in Figure 5. This arrangement is moreover favorable to travelling.

Although the shape of a wedge with its sharp edge vertical is almost always preferable, it may in some cases be advantageous to give a more or less marked inclination to the stem of the thruster. In this case it goes without saying that the attachment well and the lateral jaws should correspond in inclination and position. Apart from that theattachment by fitting the two hulls one into the other and jamimn them and securing their edges are eii'ecte just as simply as in the ordinary case.

On rivers, lakes and canals, where roughness of the water is not much to be feared, the principle of the thruster will permit of the simultaneous propelling at high speed of several lighters fitted and jammed one into the other, (Figure 7). In this way veritable floating trains can be constituted, which can be operated as easily as a single motor barge. It is to be observed that a thruster assembled in this wa with several barges can serve at the same time, if necessary, as an ordinary tug.

While I have shown in the drawings a propelling unit having a screw propeller, it will be readily understood that any suitable propelling mechanism, such for instance as a paddle wheel or addle wheels may be employed. It will a so be obvious that if desired the stem of the propelled vessel may be made to fit into the correspondingly shaped stern of the propelling vessel, the essential feature of the invention being that the propelling unit can be quickly and readily secured to the propelled unit or units in such a manner as to provide a unitary vessel of normal outline and rigidity.

The following applications and modifications are provided for:

1. Utilization of the thruster method of propulsion for cargo boats, sea or river barges, and in general for all ships navigating in either calm or rough water and having astern a mortise or a device based on the mortise principle enabling two hulls to be rigidly fastened together.

Figure 4c shows the reduced plans of a cargo boat having a. draught of six meters, a total length of ninety meters and a maximum breadth of ten meters, the thruster, with a draught of 4.80 meters, being driven by explosion motors or internal combustion engines, and being therefore very short in being in this case respectively formedto correspond with the front of the tug unit and the stern of the propelled vessel of the arrangements already described, the front of the propelled vessel being jammed and rigidly secured in the stern of the propellingvessel.

3. The propulsion of twin hulls by means of a tu unit rigidly fixed in between them, either ore or aft.

4. The working of a hull in several independent compartments assembled by mortise-and-tenon fitting and fixed to one another by means of tenons, grappling irons, beams, screws, pressure girdles or bands, stirrups, jointed or flexible .panels, in order to obtain security for passenger vessels. Since the compartments are capable of separating in the event of damage from torpedoes, explosion, collision or any other misfortune at sea, the risks of total loss would thus be considerably diminished.

5. Rigid attachment of two hulls by combined fitting into one another and jamming (wedged assembling; pyramidal assembling; conical, cylindrical or spherical assembling; assembling by a system derived from the above or combined), the attachment being maintained by the means provided in the present specification, to which should be added electromagnets and bars or keys embedded or jammed partly in the thruster and partly in the propelled vessel.

1 am aware that to facilitate towing or propelling by tugs on smooth waters it has been proposed to make the stern of the propelled vessel concave or wedge shaped and to fitthereinto the convex or suitably wedge shaped boa of the tug (or the converse) the two hull elements being connected by a simple loosely fitting vertical tongue and groove joint and by a simple link connection at the upper part of the joint about the deck level, so that when assembled, the two hulls have a restricted amount of relative angular play in a horizontal plane and a practically unlimited amount of relative angular play in a vertical plane. It is to be understood that I make no claim to such an arrangement.

It will appear, on the contrary, from the foregoing description that, according to my invention, the two hull elements are rigidly and immovably secured and locked together in axial ali@ment during travelling even on nee bad waters, the separation being only possible by the combination of the releasing of the tenons and an energetic pull to remove the wedge shaped bow from the wedge shaped recess.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A navigable unit com rising in combination a hull element provided with a substantially vertical groove-like opening in one end thereof, a substantially T-section vertical channel communicating with said groove-like opening, and a second hull element provided with one end suitably shaped for co-operating with said groove-like opening to nest therein and carrying substantially T-shaped hooking tenons, and means also carried by said second hull element for engaging locking and tightening said hooking tenons in said-channel to jam togetherand immovably connect the two hull elements to form a rigid unitary vessel.

2. A navigable unit comprising in combination a hull element provided with a substantially vertical groove-like opening in one end thereof, substantially vertical T-section channels communicating with said groove-like opening, a second hull element provided with one end suitably shaped for co-o erating with said groove-like openin in t e first hull element to nest therein an carrying substantially T-shaped hooking tenons, horizontal ribs on the co-operating portion of said second hull element, projecting means on the walls of the grooveike opening in the first hull element adapted to enter into locking engagement with said horizontal ribs and operable means carried by the second hull element for engag ing, locking and tightening said hooking tenons in said channels to jam together and immovably connect the two hull elements to form a rigid unitary vessel of normal outline.

3. A navigable unit comprising a propelled stem element and a propellin stern hull element, a vertical wedge-shape opening in the after end of the stem hull element and a wedge-shaped part on the forward end of the stern hull element adapted to nest in said opening, horizontal ribs on the faces of said wedge-shaped part, projecting means on the facesof the wed e shaped opening adapted to engage with said ribs, vertical T-sectlon channels on the stem .element communicating with the wedge shaped opening, T-shaped hookin tenons carried by the stern element, operab e means also carried by the stern element for engaging locking and tightening said hookin tenons in said channels to jam together, an

immovably connect the two hull elements to form a rigid unitary vessel of normal one end, a second hull element provlded with one end sha ed to co-operate with said opening to nest t erein, and means for rigidly connecting the two elements comprising extension plates at the edges of the groove-like opening inclined outwardly in relation to the longitudinal axis of the hull element, jaws carried by the second hull element, and operable means also carried by the second hull element for engaging said jaws with said plates and tightenin the same to rigidly connect the two hul elements.

5. A navigable unit comprising in combination several hull elements each provided at one end with a substantially vertical groove like opening and a substantially T- section vertical channel communicating therewith, the opposite end of each element being suitably shaped for co-operating with the groove like opening of the adjacent element to nest therein and carrying substantially T-shaped hooking tenons and means for engaging, locking and tightenin said hooking tenons in the vertical channe of the adjacent element to jam together and immovably connect the several hull elements toform a rigid unitary vessel.

6. A navigable unit comprising a stem hull element and a stern hull element, a vertical acute wedge-shaped opening in the after end of the" stem element, an acute wedge shaped portion on the forward end of the stern element adapted to co-operate with said opening to positively jam therein, substantially T-section vertical channels on the stem element communicating with said opening by vertical slots, substantially T-shape hooking tenons carried by the stern element and adapted tobe engaged in said channels, horizontal ribs on the faces of the wedge shaped portion of the stern element, projecting means on the faces of the wedge shaped opening in the stem element adapted to co-operate with said ribs, operable means carried by the stern element for engaging, lockin tenons in said channe s, extension plates arranged on the stem element at the edges of said opening and inclined with respect. to the longitudinal axis of the hull, gripping jaws carried by the stern element, means also carried by said stern element for'o rating said jaws to engage and grip sald extension plates, and pro elling engines carried by the stern hull e ement.

and tightening said 

